


Helping Hand

by RavenclawLoki



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Adopted Child, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:33:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21687523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenclawLoki/pseuds/RavenclawLoki
Summary: Mando gets hurt and needs a little help.
Relationships: The Mandalorian & Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 258





	Helping Hand

Aldea ducked her head down as her gaze settled in the familiar white troopers that stalked the mostly empty street. They crossed her path with their consistent side by side step that was a constant reminder of how everyone on her small planet were being watched. She kept her pace on the side closest to the brick walls, staring at them out of the corner of her eye as they eyes their own destination trough their pristine white helmets.

The storm troopers group had stayed on her planet with no help coming for aid these last five years; even with the Empire being destroyed, the followers still remained. As long as she stayed quiet, stayed polite, and stayed dumb, she would survive another day.  
She slowed her steps till she was behind them and turned down an alleyway. Their booming steps that constantly echoed in her ears started to fade and she breathed out. She took another backward step into the dark and garbage filled alley. The troopers steps had faded completely and the busy life in her town started back up again.

Aldea’s shoulders slumped forward at the sound of villagers talking and selling again and on instinct took another step back when her heel connected with something soft and she yelped. Twisting around, she muttered darkly in her native tongue when she saw a curled up lump of a being next to her, the steady rise and fall under the robe proof that it was alive.

It was covered head to toe with a cloak that seemed older than her, judging from the holes and aging faded brown color. Curing again, Aldea weighed the options of taking her chances with the troopers or staying with the stirring lump when a soft but unmistakable sound was heard.\

Aldea kneeled down by the mound and pinched the end of the cloak to pull it up, revealing a floppy eared infant with wide dark eye staring at her. His long ears perked up and he cooed at her again. Alda’s mouth dropped as she drank in the sight of this new creature. He was scarcely up to her knee and most of his body was covered by a ragged outfit that only showed his head and hands, both containing three fingers.

Aldea reached out and trailed her finger over the infant’s head, cocking her head to the side when he cooed and leaned into the touch before he turned back to the covered being, his tone soft but urgent as he chattered to her and pulled her leg towards the covered presence.  
“Is that your friend?” Aldea jerked her head towards the still figure. His face was covered by a silver mask and looked vaguely like the ever conversant Stormtrooper face. No trace of skin or flesh was to be seen and Aldea kneeled closer to the child. Instead of turning towards her, the boy’s dark eyes stayed on the masked man and his small arms lifted up and his little claws opened and closed at the unconscious man, a small whine escaping the baby’s lips.  
Aldea looked between the child and the metal man and let out a sigh that had the child’s ears perk up. She prayed to her gods that no one would see her half carrying a humanoid and a small green child to her home.

…

Aldea addressed the wounds of the masked man and learned that that he in fact is a he and he is also human. She learned he has darker, scared skin and that whenever she tried to reach for his helmet, the boy would literally start to growl at her. Aldea set the child on a chair in front of her and settled the man on her bed, which consisted of just two blankets and a pillow but it was better than the bare floor.

Aldea flashed a look to the child who was glancing down at his caregiver and making as he sat in her chair that was much too big for him, his head swiveling from her to the man with nervous noises. Aldea flashed a look at the boy and started to reach out a comforting hand to the boy before catching herself and shaking her head firmly. Don’t try to bond, then you’ll be attached and we need to get these people out of here.

Instead she stared at the male for the first time once he was settled as comfortably as he could be on her bed. Under his pure silver armor seems to be a black body suit and barely an inch of his flesh can be seen even as she pulled off some of the armor. Eventually she found out where the flow of red seeped through his clothes hisses when she saw a deep, ugly gash on his right side that ripped past the black bodysuit; it was bleeding steadily but not enough to worry her; she has seen weaker villagers walk off with scrapes like these.

She pulled the ripped fabric apart with her hands to give her more room to work. The action revealed more skin and she mentally noted how the red blood was a stark contract to the man’s golden skin and a thankful breath escaped her; he must be human, she can deal with human wounds. When everything was washed and dealt with, she gets up again to wash her hands and search for something to bandage him,. The child slipped off the chair and before she could huff and make another grab at him, the boy started to settle himself again the uninjured side of the man, nestling close to him.

The child peered up at Aldea, cooing softly when she made no move to remove him from the man’s side. Instead she shook her head and was careful to wrap the clean bandages around the waist of the human, which proved difficult when she realized how muscular and sturdy he was. She was still kind of sure he was human but without seeing his face, she still couldn’t be positive. How she let a baby intimidate her enough to not remove the mask, she would never reveal.

It had taken her some time to completely wash all the blood and dirt from the man and Aldea peered at the wound closely to see the familiar burn and redness that came from a trooper weapon, and her nerves rose when she debated on the fact she was most likely helping someone with a bounty on their head. She bit her lip tightly and kept working, only looking up once when the child moved away from the man’s side to let her work and instead sat at the end of the bed, his head sliding back and forth between her and his caregiver with wide, wet eyes.

Aldea rose from her knees and hissed from the soreness and aches as she located her wash bin to fix herself up when she heard a groan from the other room. She wiped her hands dry on her pants and stood by the doorway, examining him as he rose up. When he let out another grunt she moved closer.

“Careful, you’ll hurt yourself worse.” Aldea spoke softly, keeping her voice low.  
“The kid.” Even through his helmet she could hear the strain in his voice. “Where’s my-the kid?”

Upon hearing the man’s voice, the child’s floppy ears perked up and he made a chirping sound that had the man’s head whipping towards the sound. He practically melts back onto the bed when his visor landed on the boy and he held out his finger out to the child.

Without hesitation, the child waddled as fast as his legs can carry him and he held the man’s finger with a squeal of delight. He babbled to the man and the man nodded like he understood what the child was saying. Maybe he did. The child tried to pull himself up with the small grip on the man until a sound that sounded similar to a laugh was heard through the helmet and the man pulled him up to have the boy rest on the crook of his arm.

“Thank you.” The sigh that escaped him struck her heart and she nodded quickly, turning away. Her eye caught her box of supplies and protein bars and snagged two for her guests.

“I didn’t touch your helmet.” Aldea spoke suddenly, handing the food to the two. She sat cross legged by them, careful to give them distance. “Your boy made sure of that.”

The man cocked his head down to the softly babbling boy who was eagerly gripping the food and looking at the man with a smile.

“Oh, and here are your…stuff.” Aldea turned and reached for the armor and set it towards him.

“What’s his name?” Aldea asked, scooting toward the child. She kept her eyes fixed on the little one, careful to not glance at the man and instead kept her sight on the youngling who was trying to eat her protein bar, wrapper and all.

The man stayed silent long enough that Aldea was about to repeat her question when he answered.

“A’dika.”

Aldea nodded. “It sounds nice…I have not heard that type of language before; what does it mean?”

There was another hsort pause. “Kid.” 

Aldea was too slow to stop her laugh. “Sorry,” She apologized, eyes widening as she realized what she did. “I just thought it would man….something deeper.”

“It does to me.”

Her laugh faded with the tone of his voice and she looked again at A’dika, watching his failed attempt to eat the wrapper again before the man reached over and pulled it carefully from his child’s mouth, the disappointment whine from the youngling fading on his tongue when the man opened the food and gave it back to the squealing child.

“May I ask for your name?” The man asked, snapping Aldea to attention.

“Aldea.”She answered promptly.

The man nodded. “Thank you, Aldea. For helping us.” He turned his head towards A’dika and she didn’t need to see his face to know a soft, fond smile must be growing on his face.

Aldea hated the burst of pride her heart gave. She hide her smile and instead asked her next question. “May I ask for yours? Your name?” Her voice tentative.

The way his helmet tilted at her had her feel that her question was an unusual one.

“I just don’t know what to call you.” She answered lamely.

“I’m…I’m Mando.”

“You are very welcome, Mando.” Aldea could tell from his hesitance that it couldn't have been his real name, but she didn't push.

Mando scooted himself up against the wall, careful with his kid that was still holding on to him. “Did anyone else see us?"

Aldea shook her head firmly. “No, I found you near my home, and I’m always careful to not get any troopers attention.”

That caused the man-Mando-to push himself up, A’dika still cradled on the crook of his arm. “Troopers are here?”

“They’re always here.” Aldea shrugged. “Weren’t you surpised to see them?” Her eyes landed on his wound.

“I figured they were after me.” He replied. “But the Empire is gone."

She scoffed. “This planet is in the middle of nowhere. The last time we even had outsiders here was before the Empire struck…you’re the exception.” She added, gesturing to him.

“Kinda why we came here…though the storm troopers were not something we knew about." Mando said, glancing down at his child who was turning his head back and forth to the adults as they spoke. 

Aldea shrugged her shoulders with a grimace. “Sorry. Well, you and your boy can stay as long as you stay hidden here.”

“We can leave now-” Mando offered.

The thought of the man, still weak with injury walkjng alone in an unknown territory with the little one made Aldea speaking without thinking. “It’s too risky now, you’d need to rest up for a bit more and I’ll need to get you both out at night when the troopers are doing their rounds.”

“You’d risk your life for us.” It was a statement laced with disbelief.

Aldea swallowed at his incredulity. Who was more surprised, her or him? “I have been here all my life, doing nothing…I’d rather die trying to help than live doing what I have done."

Mando stared at her for a few second before he let out a breath Aldea didn’t know he was holding. The child slowly rose from his spot and eagerly pattered across the room, never straying far from Mando’s sight.; gibbering soft and consistently as his eyes fully took in his temporary home. Mando turned his visor towards his boy again as the child cooed for his attention, his green finger pointing at things and looking at Mando like he was explaining what he was seeing.

“I don’t know how to thank you.” Mando finally spoke.

“There’s one thing.”

“What?” Mando rose up slightly and Aldea felt annoying stab of pride to know that he was giving her his full attention. 

“Can-can I go with you? Just till you get to another port or anything. I just need to get out of here, please-” Aldea was rambling now, she knew, but she didn't realize how much was out there, how much she was missing, until these two. "I don't have much credits but I can find work or help you with A'dika until I have enough to pay you-"

“Yes.”

“Really?” Aldea felt an unseen weight fall off her chest.

“It is the least I can do, after what you’ve done for…for my boy.” Mando gestued to A'dika who clapped his hands and waddled towards his father, sitting on his lap. 

“Thank you.” Aldea breathed. 

"No Aldea, thank you."

Late that night when Aldea has packed the few belongings she owned, she checked the windows for the troops and sure enough they were gone. Mando picked up the child to settle A’dika on a sling on Mando’s back before turning back at Aldea. “Ready?” He asked.

“For you two? Always.” She answered as A’dika seemed to understand he was part of the conversation and started gigging at her.  
Aldea didn’t hide her smile.


End file.
